Yaritji Heffernan
Yaritji Heffernan — 'Clay Kin III', 2025
Clay Kin brings together seven dynamic artists in a landmark collaboration between the APY Art Centre Collective (APYACC) and Craft Victoria. This exhibition celebrated the expansion of APYACC artists into contemporary ceramics, offering Melbourne audiences a rare glimpse into the evolving material practices of First Nations makers.
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Yaritji Heffernan
Community: Ernabella (Pukatja), SA. Language: Pitjantjatjara
Yaritji Heffernan was born in Mulga Park station near Ernabella. Her parents were both Pitjantjatjara, her father was from Angkatja and her mother was from Umutju. Yaritji moved to Adelaide in 2010 and has been painting at the APY Adelaide Studio since it opened in May 2019. Yaritji paints at the studio on a daily basis and alongside the senior women, she is an important leader and teacher in the centre, encouraging young artists in their emerging practice.
Kapi Tjukula - The circles of this design represent rock holes, where water collects after the rains. These rock holes were an important source of water during the dry season when most of the water holes and creeks dried up. Water is an essential element in the desert. Knowledge of rock hole sites is passed on from generation to generation and revered by all Anangu (people) Pitjantjatjara.
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APY Art Centre Collective x Craft
June 19 – July 26
Clay Kin is a testament to the strength of kinship, culture and creative innovation. It marks a significant moment in contemporary Australian ceramics, where ancestral knowledge meets new forms, and where clay becomes a vessel for both tradition and transformation.
Artists in this exhibition represent many communities and art centres which are at the heart of the APY Lands. Founded in 2017, the APY Art Centre Collective is an initiative that provides support, resources, and opportunities for First Nations artists from the APY Lands and beyond. Through exhibitions, workshops, and cultural exchanges, the collective aims to promote Indigenous voices, foster cross-cultural understanding, and generate economic opportunities for Aboriginal communities.
Tiarnie Edwards / Yatitji Heffernan / Jennifer Ingkatji / Josina Pumani / Debra Umala / LeShaye Swan / Tjimpuna Williams
Read more about the exhibition here:
Material: Clay sculptural vessel
Dimensions: 20 x 18 x 18cm
Cat. no: 252-25AS
Please note when purchasing, exhibition works are to be collected when exhibition closes.
Shipping costs may be estimates. Please feel free to contact shop@craft.org.au who will be available to provide an Art Courier quote or shipping costs for larger items.